Spring-wheel.



J. w; BENSON.

v SPRING WHEEL.

. APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1908.

Patented June 15,1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Wiknuazo J. w. BENSON. SPRING WHEEL.

APPLIUATION TILED JULY 7-, 1908.

Patented June 15, 1909.

avwentoz Wit can:

JUHN W. BENSQN, OF NORTH WAYNE, MAINE.

SPRING-WHEEL.

No. 924,v24.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Join: W. BENSON, a

.citizen of the United States, residing at North Wayne, in the county ofKennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Spring-Wheels, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawin s.

l\ly invention'relates to improvements in spring wheels of that classhaving a hub por. tion elastically supported within a rim or treadportion.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and )ractical wheelof this characterwhich will e strong and durable and in which the loadwill be evenly distributed upon all the springs.

With the above and other objects in. view, the invention consists of thenovel features of construction and the combination and arrangement ofarts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation, with partsbroken-away and in section, of my improved spring wheel; Fig. 2 is avertical transverse section through the outer and inner rim portions ofthewheel, the hub and the spokes being removed; Fig. 3 is a detailsection through a portion of the rim showing the manner inwhichthe'springs are mounted;

Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the parts of" one of the sprinconnections separated; and Fig, 5 1s a detai view of one of plates orseetlons of the rim of the hub portion of the wheel.

My improved spring wheel comprises a central or hub portion 1 consistingof a hub 2, spokes 3 radiating from the latter and a rigid or stationaryrim 4 uniting the outer ends of the spokes. The wheel has a rim or tread)ortion 5 within which the hub ortion 1 is e astically supported. andwhic comprises an annular band or rim 6, a tread 8 of rubber or the likearranged upon the band 6.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed Ju1y 7, 1908. SerialNo. 442,366.

'19. .bolts receive pivot studs 20 formed at dia- Patented Julie 15,19cc.

The rim section 4 of the hub portion is of less diameter than the rimsection 6 of the rim or tread portion 5 so as to provide a space 10within the latter for the movement of the hub portion. Said hub portionis. elastically supported within the tread portion by springs 11 disosed transversely, and preferably in pairs, etween the side plates 9 andthe rim section 4. The springs 11 are preferably stifi coil springs andin order to permit of the use of comparatively long ones without undulyincreasing the width or thickness of the wheel I make the rim section 4of zig zag shape so as to provide ofiset portions within each of whichis disposed one pair of the springs. Said rim section 4 is alsopreferably made of a plurality of metal plates or sections each of whichhas a central portion 12 with angular portions 13 at its ends. Saidangular end portions 13- of the adjacent sections are adapted to engageeach other and to be secured by rivets or the like 14 and in theiropposing faces are formed co-acting recesses or seats 15 which formsockets for the reception of the reduced ends of the spokes 3.

The springs 11 are preferably attached to the plates 9 and the plates 12by swiveled connections which consist of grooved attaching plates 16withwhich the ends ofthe springs are pivotally engaged and. which are inturn pivotally mounted in bearings 17. The latter are in the form of eyebolts hav ing enlarged inner ends or heads formed with hearing acrtures18 andreduced threaded outer on s passed throu h openings intheplates 9, 12 and engagef by clamping nuts The bearing openings 18 inthese eye metrically members 0 erably circular in sha e and are formedwith hearing grooves 21 w ich are disposed transopposite points on theattachin F P versely or in a plane at right anglesto the ates 16. Thelatter are pre strueted as shown more clearly in Fig. 4 and they areadapted to turn or rotate in'the bearing grooves 5 so that universaljoints or connections may be provided for the ends of the springs.

It will be seen that owing to the transvers disposition of the sprin sin an annular row around the entire wheel and to their universal orswiveled connections, the hub portion of the wheel will be elasticallysupported within the rim portion and'that the load uted u upon the-hubportion will be evenly distribon eaciof-the springs at all, olntsiLIOllIN the wheel and not upon more y the springs at the top and.bottom of the wheel-,1 as'is the casein spring wheels heretoforedesigned. The transverse disposition of the --springs causes all of thelatter to assist in ermit v oad. In order to permit any dirt that. mayenter the space .10

supporting the load and their universal connections relievethemof'undue. strain and of the more equal disposition of. the

to drop out of the same I maynform at intervals-around the side plates'9 o enings 23; of suitable size and shape.

. sait openings 23also reduce the weight of pended witl-nn the-outer orrim portion, so: downwardly,

forwardly or rearwardly to prevent any incident to the travel of theouter rim or tread portion over roughroads,'.

, rub member havim a continuous annu ar the wheel. I 7 .Y From theioregoing'it will be seen that my improved wheel is exceedingly simple,strong, durable a d inexpensive in construction and thatthe'load upon itwill l) e-as elastically "supported as it would be if the equipped witha pneumatic tire.- Owing to wheel was the peculiar disposition of thesprings the inner or hub ortion' of the wheelwill be susthat it canspring upwardly,

shock orjar,

from beingimparted to the load.

Having thus described myinvention'what I claimis:

1, A wheel of the character described com- )rising a'channeled rim ortread member a rim section arrangedbvithin the rim or trread member andhaving laterally oifset portions, said rim section consisting .of aplurality of plates having angularextensions overlapped and united,whereby the laterally oflset portions are formed, andtransversely'disposed 'stantially as-and for the purpose set iorth.

springs arranged in and'secured to said oflset portions of the "rimsection and to the opposite sides of the rim or tread member sub- 1disposed positely disposed offset tions, a channe plates to.

2. A wheel of the character described comprising a. hub, spokesradiating, therefrom, a

rim section carried by said spokes consisting of-p'lates with angularextensionshaving united 1 overlapping 4 sockets to receive the pokes,said plates forming oppositely d sposed ofiset portions in the rimsection, a vchanneled tread portion to receive saidrinrs'ection andtransversely ortions of: said rim sections for elastically ends formed.with

coil springs-arranged in the ollset v supporting thehub portion withinthe tread portion. a

Y A wheel of the character described comprising'a hub, spokes radiatingtherefrom, a rim section carried b said spokes and con- 'sisting ofplates hav ng united overlapping" angular ends formed w th sockets toreceive the spokes, sald angular j plates forming oportions 1n the runsection, a channeled trea portion having side plates to receive the rimsection between them, transversely disposed coil springs arranged in theoffset portions of said H1860- 'ft1 on, and universal connectionsbetween the ends .of saidcoil springs and said side plates of the treadortion and'said rim sect'ion,

4-. A whee of the character described comprisin a 'hub portion having arim section provi 'ed with oppositely disposedofiset poredtread ortionconsisting of an annular band, inwar. 1y projecting s de them, outwardlyprojecting hanges and a tread proper reta ned upon-said "band by saidflanges, and transversely disp receive said .rirn section bet-weenosedcoil i springs arranged in the offset portions of the rim section forelasticallsupporting the hub

